Destination's Journey

Tag: Sydney

  • State Library of New South Wales

    State Library of New South Wales

    State Library of New South Wales

    Located at 1 Shakespeare Place in the centre of Sydney, the State Library of New South Wales is the oldest library in Australia. Established in 1826, it moved to the current building in 1910. Designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, the heritage listed building has been expanded over the years as its collection has grown.

    Outside the Library

    The magnificent library building has several interesting statues on its grounds, which are worth looking for. To the right of the main entrance is a statue of Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke. Erected by the people of New South Wales, the statue commemorates Sir Richard Bourke’s governorship and administration. This was the first monument erected in Australia.

    Across the road from the entrance, is the Shakespeare Memorial, with figures representing Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Portia and Falstaff on the lower level, with Shakespeare standing above them. Located on a traffic island in the middle of a busy road, you need to be careful if getting close, because there is no pedestrian crossing to it.

    • State Library of New South Wales
      State Library of New South Wales Mitchell Building and Façade
    • Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke
      Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke
    • Shakespeare Memorial
      Shakespeare Memorial

    Matthew Flinders

    A statue of Matthew Flinders, the first person to circumnavigate Australia sits outside the Mitchell Library on Macquarie Street.

    Statue of Matthew Flinders State Library of New South Wales
    Statue of Matthew Flinders – With the cat statue behind him on the window sill

    Flinders’ Cat

    Trim was a ship’s cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his voyages to circumnavigate and map the coastline of Australia in 1801–03. It sits on a window ledge of the Mitchell Library on Macquarie Street, directly behind a statue of his owner. The plaque near the statue reads:


    TO THE MEMORY OF
    TRIM
    The best and most illustrious of his race.
    The most affectionate of friends,
    faithful of servants,
    and best of creatures.
    He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia,
    which he circumnavigated, and was ever the
    delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers. 
    Written by Matthew Flinders in memory of his cat.
    Memorial donated by the North Shore Historical Society.

    Matthew Flinders’ Cat

    Vestibule

    The library’s vestibule contains a huge copy of the map of Australia made by Abel Tasman in the 1640’s. The original of this historical document is held in the library’s collection.

    • Tasman's Map of Australia
      Tasman’s Map of Australia

    The Library

    The main collection and reading room, the Mitchell Library Reading Room is adjacent to the vestibule. Being large and spacious with beautiful stain glass windows makes it an excellent place for quiet study.

    • Main Hall and Study Room State Library of New South Wales
      Mitchell Library Reading Room
    • Main Hall and Study Room State Library of New South Wales
      Mitchell Library Reading Room
    • Stain Glass Windows State Library of New South Wales
      Stain Glass Windows

    State Library of New South Wales Galleries

    Located on the upper floors of the gallery are several galleries. These contain an excellent collection of paintings and we spent some time wandering around.

    • Paintings in the Gallery
      Paintings in the Gallery
    • Paintings in the Gallery
      Paintings in the Gallery
    • Paintings in the Gallery

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Australian Museum Sydney

    Australian Museum Sydney

    Australian Museum

    Located near Hyde Park in the centre of Sydney, the Australian Museum is a wonderful place to spend a few hours wandering around the amazing displays. Designed by colonial architect Mortimer Lewis, the current building opening in 1857, although the museum’s collection dates back to 1827.

    An extensive refurbishment in 2021 has resulted in updated and refreshed exhibits, bringing the museum into the 21st century.

    Getting There

    The Domain carpark is the closest secure parking spot to the museum, being only a ten-minute walk away.

    Using Sydney’s public transport system is easy, with the Museum, St James and Town Hall train stations all within a ten-minute walk of the museum. Bus stops along Elizabeth Street, next to Hyde Park are another great option to get there.

    What to See

    Ground Level

    200 Treasures

    Located on the ground floor the 200 Treasures represent people and objects, that tell stories about Australia and the world.

    The displays range from Zulu shields and Pacific Island sculptures, to a skeleton man on a skeleton horse.

    • Skeleton Man on a Horse Australian Museum Sydney
      Skeleton Man on a Horse
    • Zulu Shields in Treasures of the Museum Australian Museum Sydney
      Zulu Shields in Treasures of the Museum
    • Australian Museum Sydney
      Australian Museum Sydney
    First Nations

    The First Nations display is part of the recent Museum refurbishment, giving an excellent overview of indigenous Australians before colonisation.

    We loved the range of boomerangs, shields and spears on display, along with their descriptions on information panels.

    • Australian Museum Sydney
    • Australian Museum Sydney
    • Australian Museum Sydney
    Wild Planet

    In Wild Planet, animals from Australia and around the world are on display. Two huge elephant skeletons show the size of these animals. Overhead, an even bigger sperm whale skeleton looks down from the ceiling.

    Over 400 animals are displayed here, including extinct and endangered species. This was a great place to learn about the animals and their habitats. Not only do the displays details the animals, but also explain how they are impacted by human activity.

    • Cassowary
      Cassowary
    • Giraffe and Zebra
      Giraffe and Zebra
    • Giraffe
      Giraffe
    • Adult and Juvenile Elephant Skeletons
      Adult and Juvenile Elephant Skeletons

    Level 2

    Birds of Australia

    Australian birds have a whole section to themselves because of their vast numbers and beauty. The displays vary from the giant emu and Cassowary to seabirds and colourful parrots. The parrot display shows the huge range of colours to be found in these birds.

    These displays are a great opportunity for people who don’t leave the city to see the colour of the outback.

    • King Parrot
      King Parrot
    Surviving Australia

    Specialising in the creatures of Australia, this section takes you from ancient megafauna to modern spiders and snakes.

    A model of an ancient diprotodon let you see how massive these giant wombat-like creatures were. Nearby the extinct Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger exhibit explains how the mammal went extinct on mainland Australia. The introduction of the dingo outcompeted them for food, driving them to extinction. Surviving until the 1930s in Tasmania, hunting by farmers caused them to die out there too.

    An excellent stop for tourists or locals who want to see some of Australia’s more dangerous animals. Displays of dangerous snakes, spiders and saltwater crocodile allow you to see them up close, but in complete safety.

    • Diprotodon
      Diprotodon
    • Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger
      Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger
    Pacific Spirit

    Pacific Spirit celebrates the culture of the Pacific Islands. Wonderful exhibits showcase the unique culture of these people, with masks, headgear, ceremonial poles and jewellery.

    Dinosaurs

    Having loved dinosaurs since being a kid this was one of my favourite exhibits. From T-Rex and velociraptors, there are many dinosaurs on display. One of Australia’s first discovered specimens is on display, muttaburrasaurus. Prior to its discovery in Queensland (near the town of Muttaburra!), very few dinosaur traces were found in Australia.

    • Muttaburrasaurus
      Muttaburrasaurus
    • Muttaburrasaurus Skeleton
      Muttaburrasaurus Skeleton

    The Hobbit Homo Floresiencis

    The discovery of homo floresiencis on the Indonesian Island of Flores caused a huge stir in the world of archaeology, because of its diminutive stature. Controversy about its place in the human family tree still rages in the scientific community. The museum has a small case displaying the hobbit as it has been called. This is not an easy display to find, because it is hidden away under a staircase, going up from the Wild Planet gallery.

    Homo Floresiensis Australian Museum Sydney
    Homo Floresiensis

    Mineralogy

    The mineralogy collection is the oldest rock and mineral collection in Australia, and the mineral component is the largest of any Australian collection. The meteorite collection is the oldest and second largest in the country. With nearly 80,000 specimens, only a few can be on display, however, these are some of the best available.

    Mineral Collection Australian Museum Sydney
    Australian Christmas Beetles Australian Museum Sydney
    Australian Christmas Beetles
    Circle Stone Money Australian Museum Sydney
    Circle Stone Money

    Refreshments

    Two eating areas provide a chance to re-fuel while at the museum. A family friendly kiosk on level 2 is great for a quick snack or light meal. The roof-top restaurant has views over Hyde Park and Sydney Harbour while you dine.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Ballast Point Park Sydney Harbour

    Ballast Point Park Sydney Harbour

    Ballast Point Park

    Getting There

    Located near Balmain Ferry Wharf, the easiest way to get to Ballast Point Park, is ferry. When you arrive, check out the old ferry wharf building, which is now a community library. Originally a fuel storage area, Ballast Point is now a beautifully rehabilitated public space on Sydney Harbour. Intended for sale to developers but saved by a community action group, which resulted in its current use as a public park.

    Balmain Ferry Wharf
    Balmain Ferry Wharf

    Mort’s Dock

    Walking from the ferry to the park, we walked past a memorial to one of Sydney’s ship building docks. Now filled in, Mort’s Dock was the first dry dock in Australia, operating from 1855 until its closure in 1959. Between 1940 and 1945, Mort’s Dock constructed fourteen of the sixty Bathurst-class corvettes built in Australia during the war, as well as four of the twelve River-class frigates. The memorial commemorates their construction and service in the Royal Australian Navy.

    • Mort's Dock
      Mort’s Dock
    • Mort's Dock Plaque
      Mort’s Dock Plaque
    • View of Mort Bay
      View of Mort Bay
    • Sandstone Wall on Mort Bay
      Sandstone Wall on Mort Bay

    Ballast Point Park

    Deriving its name from colonial times, when ships returning to England empty would source ballast here, Ballast Point Park is now a beautiful park overlooking Sydney Harbour. Previous owned by Texaco, it was planned to develop the area for housing, but a local action group convinced the State Government to retain it for public use.

    The site required decontamination because of its industrial past. Retaining walls in the park re-used rubble from the demolished buildings. Several old fuel tanks remain, as a reminder of the area’s past use, along with information boards describing the fuel depot. Scattered throughout the park, shade structures, provide great places to sit and relax, while admiring the views over the harbour.

    We enjoyed walking around here, especially the old tanks and the conversion of tank 101 into a huge piece of artwork.

    • View of Sydney Harbour From Ballast Point
      View of Sydney Harbour From Ballast Point
    • Ballast Point Park Tank 101 which symbolises the site's working harbour history
      Tank 101 which symbolises the site’s working harbour history
    • How Ballast Point Looked as an Industrial Site
      How Ballast Point Looked as an Industrial Site
    • Ballast Point Park Remaining Fuel Tanks
      Remaining Fuel Tanks